The present invention relates generally to antennas of electromagnetic radiation and more particularly to radio frequency antennas whose physical size (length) is a small fraction of the wave length at the frequency of operation.
Electrically small antennas are of great importance for military use because they provide adequate electrical performance without the inconvenience often associated with full sized antennas. In order to utilize such antennas over a relatively wide bandwidth, however, one must normally tune the antenna with suitable impedance matching devices which include switching of preset components into the system in discrete steps, each step normally being less than 10% bandwidth in a typically 3:1 operational frequency range, for example, 30-80 MHz.
It is an object of the present invention, therefore, to provide an electrically short antenna system which obviates the need for mechanically switched components to provide tuning of the antenna.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an improved VHF antenna particularly adapted for military applications.
And it is yet another object of the present invention to provide an improved VHF antenna having wide band operation which is simple in construction but is adapted to operate in relatively harsh environments.